RWC 2023: A quick look at the France vs NZ numbers

After the Springboks closed out the show against England in Tokyo four years ago, today we resume the journey in Paris to find who will reign over world rugby for the next four years.

The tournament tonight kicks off with a mouthwatering clash between World Cup rival France and New Zealand at the Stade de France.

• This will be the second time in Rugby World Cup history Stade de France has hosted the opening game of the tournament.

• The venue joins Twickenham and Eden Park as the only global venues to have opened a Rugby World Cup tournament on more than one occasion.

• Tonights fixture will be the fourth time New Zealand has played in the opening game of a Rugby World Cup tournament after 1987 against Italy, 1991 against England and 2011 against Tonga, which has seen the All Blacks score the first try of the match on all three occasions.

• This will be only the second time, and first since 2007, that France have played the opening game of the tournament which saw them concede the first try of the match against Argentina on that day.

• There are 13 survivors in the match-day team from the side who defeated New Zealand 40- 25 at this venue in 2021, including two of their three try-scorers that day in Damian Penaud and Peato Mauvaka.

• This will be the ninth time these two teams have met at Stade de France, with the All Blacks unbeaten in seven of their previous eight visits since 2000 with six wins and one draw.
•  New Zealand have scored 24 tries against France at this venue while conceding just 13.

• France crossed four times against the All Blacks the last time they played here in 2021, nearly three times their average per game (1.3) across their first seven meetings at this venue.